5 reasons why the Chabahar port is of strategic importance to India

The first phase of the Chabahar port was launched on Sunday. It is a strategically import port for India and to sum it up in a nut-shell, Pakistan will be bypassed to reach Afghanistan.

• It gives India the opportunity to tap into the vast natural gas riches of Central Asia. Additionally, with a stronger foothold in Iran, New Delhi will be better positioned to tap into Iran's own gas reserves.
• The deal will also help all players build the trust which is necessary to generate more meaningful trilateral cooperation on challenges like ISIS and the Afghanistan drug trade-issues which are of great concern to all involved.
• This project also signals the economic cooperation between India and Iran.
• The port will allow India to bypass Pakistan and reach out to the global markets. It would counter China's growing influence on the Indian Ocean. China is currently developing the Gwadar Port in Pakistan which is also 100 kms away from the Chabahar port.
• This port would help in evolving bi-lateral investments with Iran. The railway line to be set up by IRCON International will help transport well to Afghanistan. The rail line would also link India to Iran's railways' network.

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